Assembly of racks to hold articles



Oct. 20, 1959 F. J. GALASSI ASSEMBLY OF RACKS TO HOLD ARTICLES Filed Jan. 20, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jig w W m J T WH HI JI R v n M n v z w T 1. n T l J z J u L 1 6 J I 4 v I w Oct. 20, 1959 F. J. sALAs'sfl ASSEMBLY OF RACKS TO HOLD ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20, 1958 ASSEMBLY OF RACKS TO HOLD ARTICLES Francis J. Galassi, Boston, Mass., assignor to Russell E. Maintain, Newton, Mass.

Application January 20, 1958, Serial No. 709,847

7 Claims. (Cl. 211-55) This invention relates to an assembly of racks to hold articles, such as magazines and books, for instance.

One object of my invention is to provide racks to hold articles which racks are so constructed that one can be attached to the other to thereby form an assembly which is practically self-supporting.

' Another object is to provide racks for such an assembly. which can quickly be erected by an unskilled person, added to when more are needed, and likewise can quickly be disassembled.

A further object is to provide such an assembly com- United States Patent posed of racks that are relatively simple and inexpensive 1 accomplished by a construction combination and arrangment of parts such as is disclosed by the drawings. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawings nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawings:

Fig-1 is a front elevational view of an assembly of my racks.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of an assembly of said racks.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of three racks separate from each other; but in a position ready for assembly.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a said assembly.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line I 55 of Fig. 1.

As illustrated, my assembly has a front rack 10 having a retainer front '12, shown beaded, and extending upwardly in position of use and which is relatively short. It also has a bottom 14 extending rearwardly from said front, and a back 16 that extends from said bottom upwardly, being bent over rearwardly at the top edge to provide a downwardly extending, attaching flange 18, spaced slightly from the portion of said back 16 opposite thereto.

Said front rack 10 has two sides 20 and 22, preferably made separately from, and welded to, said back 16, and extending lower than said bottom 14. Said side 20 has an inwardly turned rear flange 20a overlying and welded to, a portion of said back and extending lower than the latter. In the lower portion of this flange 20a, a hole 20b is provided. Said side 22. likewise has a similar, inwardly turned, rear flange 22a, welded to said back, in which a hole 22b is provided.

In my assembly there will usually be one or more intermediate racks 25, having a front 26, a bottom 28 extending from the front, a back 30 extending from said botom. Said back has a rearwardly extending attaching flange 32 similar to said flange 18. This intermediate 2,909,287 Patented Oct. 20, 1959 rack 25 has a left side 34 that extends below said bottom 28 having an inwardly turned rear flange 34a welded to said back 30 and which has a hole 34b therethrough at a point below said bottom 28. This left side 34 also has a front supporting flange 34c extending inwardly from the lower part of which a pin 34d extends forwardly, being so positioned that it enters said'hole 20b of said front rack 10 when the racks are assembled.

Said intermediate rack 25 also has a right side 36, similar to said side 34, having an inwardly turned rear flange 36a which has a hole 36b therethrough at a point below said bottom 28 which also extends through said back 30. This right side 36 also has a front supporting flange 360, similar to flange 34c, from the lower part of which a pin 36d extends forwardly and enters said hole 22b of said front rack 10 when the racks are assembled.

There is a rear or top rack 40 in the assembly, having a front 42, a bottom 44 extending therefrom, and a back 46 which may have a rearwardly extending flange 48 that may fit over the top of a supporting wall, or partition, in a room, or other main support for my assembly. Said back 46 is also shown provided with two holes 49, through which screws or other pin members may pass to thereby hold the assembly to a wall.

Said rear rack 40 has a left side 50 having an inwardly turned rear flange 50a which is attached, as by welding to said back 46. This rear rack 40 also has an inwardly turned front supporting flange 50b from the lower portion of which a pin 50c extends and fits into a said hole 34b in an intermediate rack 25. Said front flanges 50b and 52b receive a said back flange 32.

Said rear rack 40 also has a right side 52 having an inwardly turned rear flange 52a similar to flange 50a; it also has an inwardly turned front supporting flange 52b, fromthe lower portion of which a pin 52c extends and fits into a said hole 36b in an intermediate rack 25.

My racks may be made of sheet metal which may readily be bent to the shapes desired, hence are manufactured at a moderate expense. They may be added to by including as many intermediate racks as desired. If desired the racks may form part of the assembly of shelving such as is used in grocery stores. Also the racks may beset up as a separate, independent unit by providing well known shelving standards, not shown, at opposite sides of the assembly. Where only two racks are needed, the front and rear racks alone are used. Undersome circumstances said pins, and the holes to receive them, need not be used, as when temporary assemblies are made.

What I' claim is: v

1. A plurality of racks constituting an assembly, comprising a rack embodying a front, bottom and back, said back having a rearwardly and downwardly extending, attaching flange at the top spaced from said back, and two sides each having an inwardly-turned rear flange overlying and attached to said back and extending lower than said bottom and each having'a hole therethrough in said lower extending portion, and another rack embodying a front, bottom and back, and two sides, a pin extending forwardly from each said latter side and so positioned that said pins are adapted to enter said holes in said first-mentioned rack, each said latter two sides embodying an inwardly extending front supporting flange extending into said space between said attaching flange and said back of the first said rack.

2. A plurality of racks constituting an assembly, comprising a rack'embodying a front, bottom and back, said back having a rearwardly and downwardly extending, attaching flange at the top spaced from said back, and two sides each having an inwardly-turned rear flange overlying and attached to said back, and another rack embodying a front, bottom and back, and two sides, each said latter two sides embodying an inwardly extending front 3 flange extending into said space between said attaching flange and said back of the first said rack.

3. A rack for use in an assembly of racks, said rack comprising a front, bottom and back, said back having a rearwardly and downwardly extending, attaching flange at the top spaced from said back, and two sides attached to said back and each having an inwardly extending front supporting flange at the front overlying said back, each said side also having an inwardly-turned rear flange overlying and attached to said back having a portion extending below said back and having a hole therethrough in said portion, said supporting front flanges each extending below said bottom and having a pin extending forwardly that is adapted to enter a said hole.

4. An assembly of racks, comprising a front rack embodying a front, bottom and back, said back having a rearwardly and downwardly extending, attaching flange at the top spaced from said back, and two sides, and com prising an intermediate rack embodying a front, bottom and back, said back having a rearwardly extending, attaching flange at the top spaced from said back, and two sides each having an inwardly extending front supporting flange extending into said space between said attaching flange and said back of said front rack, and comprising a rear rack embodying a front, bottom and back, and two sides each having an inwardly extending, front supporting flange extending into said space between said attaching flange and said back of said intermediate rack.

5. An assembly of racks, comprising a front rack embodying a front, bottom and back, said back having a rearwardly and downwardly extending, attaching flange at the top spaced from said back, and two sides each hav-' ing an inwardly-turned, rear flange overlying and attached to said back, and comprising an intermediate rack embodying a front, bottom and back, said back having a rearwardly extending, attaching flange at the top spaced from said back, and two sides each having an inwardly turned, rear flange overlying and attached to said latter back, and each said latter two sides having an inwardly extending front supporting flange extending into said space between said attaching flange and said back of said front rack, and comprising a rear rack embodying a front, bottom and back and two sides, each said latter two sides having an inwardly turned, rear flange overlying and attached to said latter back, and each said latter two sides having an inwardly extending, front supporting flange extending into said space between said attaching flange and said back of said intermediate rack.

6. An assembly of racks, comprising a front rack embodying a front, bottom and back, said back having a rearwardly and downwardly extending, attaching flange at the top spaced from said back, and two sides each having an inwardly-turned, rear flange overlying and attached to said back and extending lower than said bottom and each having a hole therethrough in said lower extending portion, and comprising an intermediate rack embodying a front, bottom and back, said back having a rearwardly extending, attaching flange at the top spaced from said back, and two sides each having an inwardly turned, rear flange overlying and attached to said latter back and extending lower than said bottom and each having a hole therethrough in said lower extending portion and each said latter two sides having an inwardly extending front supporting flange extending into said space between said attaching flange and said back of said front rack, said latter two sides each embodying a pin extending from said front supporting flanges into said holes in said front rack, and comprising a rear rack embodying a front, bottom, back and two sides, each said latter two sides having an inwardly turned, rear flange overlying and attached to said latter back, and each said latter two sides having an inwardly extending, front supporting flange extending into said space between said attaching flange and said back of said intermediate rack, said latter two sides each embodying a pin extending from said latter front supporting flanges into said holes in said intermediate rack.

7. An assembly of racks, comprising a front rack embodying a front, bottom and back, said back having a rearwardly and downwardly extending, attaching flange at the top spaced from said back, and two sides each having an inwardly-turned, rear flange overlying and attached to said back and extending lower than said bottom and each having a hole therethrough in said lower extending portion, and comprising an intermediate rack embodying a front, bottom and back, said back having a rearwardly extending, attaching flange at the top spaced from said back, and two sides each having an inwardly turned, rear flange overlying and attached to said latter back and extending lower than said bottom and each having a hole therethrough in said lower extending portion and each said latter two sides having an inwardly extending front supporting flange terminating upwardly at a point lower'than said latter back and extending into said space between said attaching flange and said back of said front rack, said latter two sides each embodying a pin extending from said front supporting flanges into said holes in said front rack, and comprising a rear rack embodying a front, bottom and back in two sides, each said latter two sides having an inwardly turned, rear flange overlying and attached to said latter back, and each said latter two sides having an inwardly extending, front supporting flange terminating upwardly at a point lower than said latter back and extending into said space between said attaching flange and said back of said intermediate rack, said latter two sides each embodying a pin extending from said latter front supporting flanges into said holes in said intermediate rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 814,438 Franke Mar. 6, 1906 1,565,993 Fitzpatrick Dec. 15, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS 331,069' Great Britain June 26, 1930 564,438 Great Britain Sept. 27, 1944 727,827 France Apr. 4, 1932 

